Important Days/Weeks

3 December:International Day of Persons with Disabilities:The International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed globally on December 3, 2018 with the theme “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”. The 2018 theme focuses on empowering persons with disabilities for an inclusive, equitable and sustainable development as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

4 December:Indian Navy Day: The 47th Indian Navy Day was celebrated on December 4, 2018 across India. The Navy day is celebrated every year to commemorate the success of Operation Trident of Indian Navy on Karachi Harbour during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Under Operation Trident, the Indian Navy sank four vessels near the largest Pakistani port of Karachi and ravaged the Karachi harbour fuel fields, killing over 500 Pakistani Navy personnel.

5 December: World Soil Day:The World Soil Day was observed across the world on December 5, 2018 with the theme, ‘Be the Solution to Soil Pollution’.The campaign aims to raise awareness regarding soil pollution and call people to #StopSoilPollution.

10 December: Human Rights Day: The Human Rights Day 2016 was observed across the world on December 10, 2018 to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Theme of the 2018 Human Rights Day was ‘Let’s stand up for equality, justice and human dignity’. The 2018 Human Rights Day marked the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948 as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.

16 December: 47th Anniversary of Vijay Diwas celebrated:India celebrated Vijay Diwas on 16th December 2018 marking the 47th anniversary of its victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war. On this occasion, the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with the heads of the three armed forces paid tributes to the martyrs at Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate in New Delhi.

18 December: International Migrants Day: The International Migrants Day was observed on December 18, 2018 with the theme ‘Migration with Dignity’.

22 December:National Mathematics Day: India celebrated 22nd December 2018 as the National Mathematics Day honouring the 131st birth anniversary of famous Indian Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

23 December: National Farmers Day: India celebrates National Farmers Day on 23rd December to commemorate the birth anniversary of the 5th Prime Minister of India, Choudhary Charan Singh.

24 December: National Consumer Day: The National Consumer Day was observed across India on December 24, 2018 with the theme “Timely Disposal of Consumer Complaints”. The day is celebrated annually on 24 December to mark the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, that was enacted on December 24, 1986.55th anniversary of Sashastra Seema Bal held in New Delhi: The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) celebrated its 55th Anniversary Parade at its 25th Battalion, Ghitorni, on 24 December 2018.

25 December: Good Governance Day: India observed the Good Governance Day on December 25, 2018 to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who passed away on August 16, 2018. To mark the Good Governance Day 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 24, 2018 released a 100-rupee commemorative coin in honour of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee.Weighing 35 grams, the 100-rupee coin has the image of Vajpayee with his name inscribed in Hindi and English. The coin has the years 1924 and 2018 inscribed to mark the years of Vajpayee’s birth and death.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh launched the ‘Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana’ to mark the Day. Under the scheme, each household in the state will be able to avail medical treatment of up to 5 lakh rupees annually.

4 January:UN observes First-Ever World Braille Day: The United Nations observed the first official World Braille Day on 4January 2019 to create awareness about the importance of Braille for approximately 1.3 billion people living with some form of distance or near vision impairment. The day honours Louis Braille, who is credited for inventing the Braille script.

10 January:World Hindi Day: Every year 10th January is celebrated as World Hindi Day to create awareness about the language of Hindi across the World and to present Hindi as an international language.

12 January:National Youth Day: National Youth Day is celebrated on 12 January being the birthday of Swami Vivekananda. The government aims to imbibe the students and youth with the philosophy and ideals of Swami Vivekananda, the man who brought a change in the thought process of the Indian youth.

15 January: Army Day: Army Day is celebrated on 15 January every year in India, in recognition of Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa’s (then a Lieutenant General) taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15 January 1949.

24 January:National Girl Child Day: The Ministry of Women and Child Development on January 24, 2019 celebrated the National Girl Child Day 2019 (NGCD) with the theme, “Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow”. On the same occasion, the Ministry also observed the anniversary of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme.

24 January:International Day of Education:The first-ever International Day of Education was celebrated on 24 January 2019 as per the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on 3 December 2018 to celebrate the role of education in developement. The day demonstrates the world’s political will towards providing quality education to all and achieving sustainable development by 2030.

25 January: National Voters’ Day: The 9th National Voters’ day was observed across India on January 25, 2019 with an aim to increase enrolment of voters, especially of the newly eligible ones. This was the ninth edition of the Day.Considering the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2019, the Election Commission chose ‘No Voter to be Left Behind’ as the theme for the 9th National Voters’ Day.

26 January:Australia Day:Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip.

26 January:Republic Day of India:Republic Day honours the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India. 26 January was chosen as the Republic day because it was on this day in 1929 when Declaration of Indian Independence (Purna Swaraj) was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress as opposed to the Dominion status offered by British Regime.

27 January:International Holocaust Remembrance Day: International Holocaust Remembrance Day is an international memorial day on 27 January commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust that occurred during the Second World War. It commemorates the genocide that resulted in the death of an estimated 6 million Jews, 8.7 million Slavs, 1.8 million ethnic Poles, 220,000 Romani people, 250,000 mentally and physically disabled people, 312,000 Serb civilians, 1,900 Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.

30 January: Martyrs Day: January 30 is celebrated as Martyrs Day in India to honour the brave martyrs of India who have sacrificed their lives for the country. the day marks the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. On January 30, 1948, Mahatma Gandhiji, Father of the Nation was assassinated by Nathuram Godse

2 February:World Wetlands Day:World Wetlands Day was celebrated on 2 February 2019 with the theme of “Wetlands and Climate Change”. The theme signifies the importance of healthy and intact wetlands to one of the most pressing challenges of our times, climate change. The day commemorates the signing of the Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention at the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

4 February:World Cancer Day:The World Cancer Day 2019 was observed across the world on February 4, 2019 with an aim to unite the world’s population in the fight against cancer. The Union for International Cancer Control, which organises the World Cancer Day every year, launched a new 3-year campaign with the theme “I Am and I Will”.

6 February:International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation: It is a United Nations-sponsored annual awareness day that takes place on February 6 as part of the UN’s efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation. It was first introduced in 2003.

10 February:World Pulses Day: The first world pulses day was celebrated across the world on 10 February 2019. It is a designated United Nations global event to celebrate pulses worldwide and continue the important gains made with the 2016 International Year of Pulses.

20 February 2019:Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram celebrate Statehood Day: The North-Eastern States of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram celebrate Statehood Day celebrated statehood day on 20 February 2019. Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh celebrated the 32nd and 47th Statehood Day respectively.

28 February:National Science Day: The National Science Day 2019 was observed across India on February 28, 2019 to mark the discovery of the Raman Effect by Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (CV Raman). The theme of National Science Day 2019 was “Science for the People and the People for Science.

1 March:Zero Discrimination Day: Zero Discrimination Day is annually celebrated by the UN and other international organisations on 1 March to promote and celebrate everyone’s right, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, skin colour, etc.

7 March:‘Janaushadhi Diwas: ‘Janaushadhi Diwas’ was observed across India on 7 March 2019 with an aim to provide further impetus and create awareness about the use of generic medicines. The Government launched the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana to make affordable and quality generic medicines popular among the people. The Government aims to have atleast 1 PMBJP Kendra in each block of the country by 2020.

8 March:International Women’s Day: The International Women’s Day 2019 was observed across the world on 8 March 2019 with the theme, ‘Think equal, build smart, innovate for change’.

Second Thursday of March: World Kidney Day: The World Kidney Day 2019 was observed on March 14, 2019, the second Thursday of March, with an aim to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys. The theme of World Kidney Day 2019 was “Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere”.

15 March:World Sleep Day:The World Sleep Day was observed across the globe on March 15, 2019 with the theme ‘Healthy Sleep, Healthy Aging’. The day is observed annually on the Friday before the March Equinox on the Earth, when the subsolar point appears to leave the Southern Hemisphere and cross the celestial equator, heading northward as seen from Earth.

15 March:World Consumer Rights Day: The World Consumer Rights Day was observed across the world on March 15, 2019 with an aim to promote basic rights of consumers and to ensure that these rights are respected and protected. The theme of 2019 World Consumer Rights Day was ‘Trusted Smart Products’.

23 March:World Meteorological Day: World Meteorological Day 2019 was observed on March 23 with the theme “The Sun, the Earth and the weather”. The theme recognises the critical role the Earth’s nearest star plays in what transpires on the planet. World Meteorological Day is observed on March 23rd every year to commemorate the coming into force of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization on 23 March 1950.

24 March:World Tuberculosis Day: The World Tuberculosis (TB) Day was observed across the globe on March 24, 2019 with an aim to raise public awareness about the upsetting health and economic consequences of tuberculosis and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. The theme of World TB Day 2019 was “It’s time”. On the occasion of the World TB Day 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a joint initiative “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” along with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership.

2 April:World Autism Awareness Day: The World Autism Awareness Day was observed across the world on April 2, 2019 with an aim to encourage the Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about autism throughout the world. The theme of World Autism Awareness Day 2019 was “Assistive Technologies, Active Participation”.

6 April:International Day of Sport for Development and Peace: The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) was observed across the world on April 6, 2019. The date commemorates the inauguration of the first ever Olympic games of the modern era in Athens, Greece in 1896.

7 April:World Health Day: The World Health Day was observed across the world on April 7, 2019, marking the 71st anniversary of the World Health Organisation. The theme of World Health Day 2019 was ‘Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere’.

7 April:International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Rwanda Genocide: On 7 April, UNESCO commemorates the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which was established by the United Nations General Assembly (link is external)in 2003. The date marks the beginning of the genocide perpetrated against members of the Tutsi minority by the Hutu extremist-led government. Within just over 100 days, more than 800,000 Tutsi were systematically murdered.

10 April:World Homoeopathy Day: The World Homoeopathy Day 2019 was observed across the world on April 10, 2019 to commemorate the birth anniversary of the founder of Homoeopathy, Dr. Christian Fredrich Samuel Hahnemann.

12 April:International Day of Human Space Flight: The International Day of Human Space Flight is the annual celebration, held on April 12, of the anniversary of the first human space flight by Yuri Gagarin. It was proclaimed at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 7 April 2019,a few days before the 50th anniversary of the flight.

18 April:World Heritage Day: World Heritage Day, also known as the ‘International Day for Monuments and Sites’, was observed across the world on April 18, 2019 with the theme of ‘Rural Landscapes’. The International Day for Monuments and Sites is traditionally called the World Heritage Day.

21 April:World Creativity and Innovation Day: Every year World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID) is officially celebrated on April 21. WCID is a part of the United Nations resolution entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” It is celebrated to raise awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in “problem-solving and by extension, in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.” More than 80 countries around the world have joined in support of the resolution.

22 April: International Mother Earth Day: 22nd April is celebrated as International Mother Earth Day across the world. This day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of a symbiotic relationship between the Earth and humankind. The theme for International Mother Earth Day 2019 is ‘Protect Our Species.’

23 April:World Book and Copyright Day: World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, or International Day of the Book, is an annual event the organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. World Book Day was first celebrated on 23 April 1995, and continues to be recognized on that day.

25 April:World Malaria Day: The World Malaria Day was observed across the globe on April 25, 2019 to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment towards malaria prevention and control. The theme of the World Malaria Day 2019 was “Zero malaria starts with me”. On the occasion of the World Malaria Day 2019, the WHO joined the ‘RBM Partnership to End Malaria’, the African Union Commission and other partner organisations in promoting the theme.

26 April:World Intellectual Property Day: The World Intellectual Property Day was observed across the world on April 26, 2019 to spread awareness about the role that intellectual property rights like patents, trademarks, industrial designs and copyright play in encouraging innovation and creativity. The theme of World Intellectual Property Day 2019 was “Reach for Gold: IP and Sports”.

28 April 2019:World Day for Safety and Health at Work: The World Day for Safety and Health at Work was observed across the globe on April 28, 2019. The day is observed annually to promote safe, healthy and decent work. The annual day promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally.

1 May:Labour Day: Labour Day or International Workers Day is celebrated annually on 1 May to celebrate the working class and labourers across the world. Socialist and labour unions celebrate this day by organising programmes to improve wages and working conditions of the workforce. In more than 80 countries Labour Day is a national holiday. The theme of International Labour Day 2019 is “Sustainable Pension for all: The Role of Social Partners”.

3 May:World Press Freedom Day: Each year, May 3 is celebrated as World Press Freedom Day. Started by the UN General Assembly in 1993, on a recommendation from UNESCO, the theme for this year’s World Press Freedom Day is “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”. This year’s theme discusses current challenges faced by media in elections, along with the media’s potential in supporting peace and reconciliation processes.

7 May:World Asthma Day: The World Asthma Day was observed across the globe on May 7, 2019, the first Tuesday of May 2019. The day is organised and sponsored by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) as a partnership between health care groups and asthma educators to raise awareness about asthma. The theme of World Asthma Day 2019 was ‘STOP for Asthma’.

8 May:World Red Cross Day: World Red Cross Day is celebrated on 8 May annually as the birth anniversary of founder of the Red Cross and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Henry Dunant. The theme for World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day 2019 is “love”.

22 May:International Day for Biological Diversity: The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) is celebrated every year on 22 May to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The theme for 2019 was “Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health.”

28 May:Menstrual Hygiene Day: Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual awareness day on May 28 to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management. It was initiated by the German-based NGO WASH United in 2014 and aims to benefit women and girls worldwide.

25 June:44th anniversary of Emergency observed in India: India observed 44th anniversary of Emergency on 25 June 2019. On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and saluted all those greats who fearlessly resisted the Emergency in 1975.

21 June:International Yoga Day 2019: The fifth annual International Day of Yoga was celebrated across the world on 21 June 2019 with the theme, “Yoga for Climate Action.” In India, it was celebrated with the theme, “Yoga for Heart.” The venue of International Yoga Day in India was Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.

20 June:World Refugee Day: The World Refugee Day is observed across the world on 20 June every year. The theme for World Refugee Day 2019 was: Step with Refugees – Take a Step on World Refugee Day.

19 June:World Sickle Cell Day: The World Sickle Cell Day is globally observed every year on 19 June, to raise public awareness about the sickle cell disease and its treatment methods. This year is the 40th celebration of World Sickle Cell Day.

18 June:Sustainable Gastronomy Day: The Sustainable Gastronomy Day is observed all across the world every year on 18 June. The Day emphasizes the need to focus the world’s attention on the role that sustainable gastronomy can lay. It also reaffirms that all cultures and civilizations are contributors and crucial enablers of sustainable development.

17 June:World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought: The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (WDCDD) was observed globally on 17 June 2019 with the theme, ‘Let’s Grow the Future Together.’ The Day has been observed since 1995 to promote public awareness relating to international cooperation to combat desertification and the effects of drought.

16 June:International Day of Family Remittances:The International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR) is a universally-recognized observance adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and observed on 16 June each year. IFDR furthers 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

14 June:World Blood Donor Day: The World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) was celebrated around the world on 14 June 2019 with the theme, Safe blood for all. The day commemorates the birthday anniversary of Karl Landsteiner (an Austrian biologist, physician, and immunologist) on June 14, 1868. He is known for Development and classification of blood group system (ABO), discovery of Rhesus (Rh) factor, discovery of poliovirus among others.

13 June:International Albinism Awareness Day: The International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) is observed every year throughout the world on 13 June, with the aim of raising public awareness on albinism and to prevent attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism. The theme for IAAD 2019 was- Still Standing Strong. It calls upon people around the globe to recognize, celebrate and stand in solidarity with all albinism patients.

12 June:World Day against Child Labour 2019:The World Day against Child Labour was observed across the world on June 12, 2019 with the theme, ‘Children should not work in fields but on dreams’. The World Day against Child Labour was established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.

7 June:1st World Food Safety Day: The first-ever World Food Safety Day, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018, was celebrated on 7 June 2019 under the theme “Food Safety, everyone’s business”. It was facilitated by World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations (UN).

6 June:Maharana Pratap Jayanti: Maharana Pratap Jayanti is observed every year on 6 June to celebrate birth anniversary of brave Rajput warrior. The year 2019 marks 479th birth anniversary of great warrior. The famous Battle of Haldighati was fought between Maharana Pratap and Akbar’s forces led by Man Singh I of Amer on 18 June 1576.

5 June:World Environment Day:The World Environment Day 2019 was observed on 5 June 2019 with the theme, ‘Beat Air Pollution’. First held in 1974, it has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on emerging environmental issues from marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime.

3 June:World Bicycle Day:The World Bicycle Day was globally celebrated on 3 June 2019 by organising group rides on the event to popularize the use of bicycles in daily life. In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 3 June as World Bicycle Day to observe the day as a celebration of “uniqueness, longevity, and versatility” of the bicycle. Professor Leszek Sibilski of Montgomery College, Maryland, United States with his Sociology class petitioned for the bicycle to have its own day and to recognize all its good qualities.

31 May:World No Tobacco Day: On May 31 every year the World Health Organization (WHO) and its global partners celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2019 was ‘tobacco and lung health’.